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galene-gothic · 2 years

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How do others perceive you?

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Pile 1

You might be seen as someone who does unpredictable things? They might also perceive you to be someone who doesn't pay much mind to people who like you romantically? I think people perceive you to be someone who takes too much work on their shoulders. Much like a reading I've done in the past, you might end up taking a lot of responsibility because of your inability to share. There's a part of you that's always unseen which makes it difficult for people to fully trust you or predict your actions. People wish you'd participate more in social events so that they could get to know you. Some people might think that you let the opinions of others interfere with your own ambition. You might also be perceived as someone who has really strong beliefs or just isn't open to new ideas, people or beliefs. Somehow, they still see you to be someone hopeful. You might struggle with needless worries. You might be slowly getting out of a period of anxiety. Somehow, you're still seen as someone who is a quick thinker and a master of social skills and connections. People might think that you're finally becoming aware of yourself. You're learning how to focus, little by little. Learning the difference between procrastination and rest is what you're doing as well. Try not to go with the crowd without any personal insight right now. People might think that you aren't very capable of discerning between bad and good at times. You seem to be seen as intimidating and people usually don't know anything about you. You're also seen as someone with a lot of powerful connections.

Pile 2

"Don't do that to me..." and "What are you doing to me?" are coming through very strongly here. Perhaps, a charmer? You have a duality of sexy and cute. I'm getting really strong charm from you, cute and cold? You make people feel really special but they have a hard time trusting you. Some of you might be really pretty when you cry. I'm getting a duality of a warm and cold personality too, it's like you act based on what you feel like that day. You can be really intimidating at times, not gonna lie. Scorpionic/plutonic (extremely intense) gaze? You draw people in like moth to flame. People can't resist you? You might be known as someone who dates a lot or just has an active love life. Venus-pluto aspects might be present here or just very strong pluto or venus in the natal chart. Your eyes look... Stoic? And dead? Yet really soulful. You seem to be someone very impactful too, I'm getting those you are involved with emotionally especially romantically, don't forget you easily. "I'll always love you until the time we die." Ride or die energy. People of your gender might be really envious of you or might make judgements about how condescending you are just by your appearance and the kind of people you're involved with. You might have been attracted to pile 3. I feel like while pile 2 is about how others perceive you and your way of tempting others, pile 3 is about how your romantic interests perceive you.

Pile 3

Pure and cute mermaid energy (not siren.) Much like the last pile, you might be known as a love interest or someone with really impactful love interests? In terms of your own charm, I'm getting you being really loved by people who might be older than you (not in a creepy manner but maybe😃☠️) or somewhat darker than you. Also, you're seen as someone very physically attractive, you might have really pretty hair. Did you recently go to the movies with someone or just watch something with someone? That person might be interested in you in some way or maybe they're just thinking of you. I'm getting some of you being on more of the shorter side or just someone who has something about themselves that entices feelings of protectiveness. People crave your presence around them. I'm getting you manage to finally make people feel something, like supposing someone didn't date in a really long time because they couldn't feel anything with anyone but you do something that makes them feel all giddy and happy, also really uncomfortable yet they crave your presence. I'm getting you being cute but still pretty detached and mysterious, people can make out that you aren't entirely pure but you have a pure charm that might have something more flaky hidden under it. You seem to have good intentions but might have some baggage. You might have been attracted to pile 2 but compared to that pile, you have a softer charm, while they're really femme fatale, you seem to be someone who is femme fatale under the mask of a softer, almost angelic person. I feel like while pile 2 is about how others perceive you and your way of tempting others, this pile is about how your romantic interests perceive you.

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blujaymi · 9 months

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this is probably a very unoriginal thought considering i'm about three weeks late to this movie, but i simply cannot stop thinking about it.

one of the core themes of nimona is acceptance; more specifically, the idea of accepting the "other," which isn't exactly unheard of (especially in media primarily targeted at younger audiences).

but nimona isn't just about the "normal" accepting the "other". upon further inspection, it's actually chiefly about different members of the "other" accepting each other first.

(disclaimer: i'm not trying to downplay the impact of other queer media with more focus on queer people being accepted by non-queer people. i think those stories are just as important to tell. however, nimona went about things in a subtly but also not-so-subtly different way that i feel the need to gush over lol.)

this distinction makes the message not only more unique, but exponentially more poignant in the modern context. because yes, the "normal" should still learn to accept the "other," but how can that be accomplished when there is othering within the outcasts themselves?

this question is why i find it very powerful that ballister is a gay man, even putting aside the obvious impact he has as mlm representation on his own. it's more the fact that he is treated as a villain alongside nimona (who is so trans coded i'm not even sure its code), but even he isn't fully accepting or understanding of her at first.

he asks "small-minded questions," akin to the invasive curiosity often targeted towards trans people about their bodies and transition.

he expresses a want for nimona to just "be a girl" because it's easier for him, which is comparable to cis people sometimes making someone's transition about their own feelings without realizing how it affects the trans person in question (not even getting into the extra layer added by how the term "girl" is pointedly used as opposed to just "person" relative to her shapeshifting capabilities).

he even, at some point, completely treats nimona as the "other" by calling her a "monster" when he himself is being called, semi-equivalently, a "murderer".

in other words, it's very telling that in a world where ballister's sexuality isn't questioned, nimona's shapeshifting is.

not to mention the fact that these moments aren't even necessarily representative of hostility towards trans people exclusively, because transphobia isn't always just being intentionally hateful. it's also the seemingly more trivial, unintentional but still just as harmful things (like "small-minded questions"): ignorance—and even between queer people—hypocrisy.

in this sense, ballister's behavior really speaks to the broader issue of the othering of trans people not just in general society, but in the queer spaces they should feel safe in.

so yeah, maybe i am a little insane about how ballister and nimona went from being separate villains to a villain and a sidekick.

#i think there's just something about the duality of this movie #to non queer people it can easily be read as accepting people who are different from you #but the same message is given to queer people TENFOLD if you read it in a slightly different way (queer solidarity!!!)#and i just think it's really neat that the theme can be so universal yet so relevant #really great movie lol #nimona #nimona netflix #ballister boldheart

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sunflowerxthoughts · 1 year

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Birthdays - Eddie Munson x GN! Reader

Summary: Eddie forgets his partner's birthday and he discovers things aren't as they seem.

TW: Hurt/comfort, talks about loneliness, depicted parent neglect, this might hurt you.

a/n: This was just self indulgent cause I've been feeling a bit out of place lately.

We've always been told that birthdays are meant to be a happy thing. You should be celebrated by your people. Extra loved and cherished for the day. But sometimes; it just isn't the case. When you feel lonely; birthdays are dreadful.

It's the constant nagging thought of "let's see who remembers", no cards nor presents are expected. And when not many people do, you just stop celebrating at all. Make it a normal day, treating yourself to something you usually wouldn't in hopes it will ease the ache and emptiness in your chest.

Eddie knew they felt like this, so he bowed not to forget and to make them feel celebrated. Somewhere along the way Y/N felt hopeful. Maybe this was the year. Maybe it would be a happy day and they'd eat birthday cake with at least their boyfriend. Maybe even their friends would show up.

Chrissy and Y/N had been friends for years and being in different social circles, they always planned ahead so they could have a tiny celebration and this year would be no different. They had planned a sleepover the weekend following their birthday, mainly to indulge Chrissy.

But when the day of Y/N's actual birthday came, they were reminded of the loneliness of the day all over again. Waking up to an empty house probably wasn't a good thing. Their stomach dropped when they realized Eddie wouldn't be there to pick them up that morning and they had to walk. They ate their lunch at Hellfire like they always would, not showing how truly numb they were feeling. Fooling everyone with a neutral smile.

By the time the last bell rung and Eddie announced he was going to Hellfire and departing with a single kiss, they just knew. There were no flowers, no cake, no cards. Just despair, the heavy feeling in your chest when you have expectations and they don't actually happen.

"Gentlemen, Erica, today's campa-" Eddie gets interrupted by a knock on the door, Chrissy's face peaking. "Chris? Everything okay?"

"Have you seen Y/N?"

"Yeah!" He smiles at the thought of them. "They went home after class. Why?"

"Oh. Well thank you, I just wanted to drop their presents off since I haven't seen them all day."

"Aaaaww". Dustin comments from his chair. "That's a very sweet thing to do! I love you guys' friendship!"

That spurs something in Eddie. Somewhere there's a ticking feeling that he has forgotten something but can't quite put his finger on it. He can't focus on the game either. There is something missing and he knows it's about you. It only occurs to him in the middle of the day, the impact of his fists on the table making the whole thing move.

"It's their fucking birthday."

"Holy shit." Gareth has never seen the mix of emotions swirling in Eddie in real time. Anger, sadness, disappointment. Guilt.

"Okay, change of plans, you are all helping me fix this mess cause I can't think straight and there is someone out there with their heart broken who I care about."

"But it was your mistake…"

"Henderson, this is a life or death matter. Now put your brains to work." Eddie said, trying to figure out how to mend a situation like that. He still had a few hours, but it was more than evident that he’d forgotten.

By the time the clock had hit nine he was at their doorstep with flowers and a grocery bag. Y/N on the other hand was already in bed when he knocked on the door, a day like this was far more important than sneaking in from the window. Eddie thought how cliché it was that even after a long day she looked beautiful as ever.

“Teddy?”

“Happy birthday, angel.”

“Come on in, I thought you’d forgotten…”

“Oh and I’m here to make it up to you. I got you tulips and I’m making you dinner and I brought a cupcake and a movie. I couldn’t afford a real cake, sorry sweets.”

“It’s technically still a cake. You didn’t have to, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, angel. It really isn’t. I really didn’t mean to and there’s no excuse for it. But still, it doesn’t mean you won’t be celebrated. Cause you really, really deserve to be.”

“I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate this, because I do my love. But I feel so damn lonely all the time. Everyone has their thing. Chriss has cheerleading, you have Hellfire, Robin has Steve and their jobs. And I feel like I have nothing that is my thing.”

“But you’re good at many things! And you have many friends!”

“Teddy is not that simple.” At this point they are sitting on the counter while Eddie starts cooking. “I know I’m good at those things and I know that you love me and that I have friends. It’s the fact that I feel terribly guilty feeling lonely in a sea of people because I know that you love me, but I still doubt I’m deserving of that.”

“Oh. I never knew you felt like that.”

“Cause sometimes it’s easier to plaster a smile and act like you haven’t cried yourself to sleep, Eds. Loneliness is like a parasite and it slowly sucks the life out of you. You learn to live with it but in turn you question every small thing.”

“You do?”

“Oh absolutely. I kinda lost track of what's too much or too little when it comes to interacting with other people.”

“Sweetheart, what can I do to help?”

“What?”

“I wanna help, really. Whatever it takes to make you feel better. I want you living, not just functioning.”

“Teddy is not that s-”

“I know it’s not easy, but there must be something, little things I can do to help. For instance, would a little more reassurance help?”

“I guess so…”

“See? Little things! Would it help if I slept here when your parents aren’t home and take care of you?”

“Take care of me?”

“Yeah. Like make you tea and cuddle and we can talk deeply about what you are feeling.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Don’t say it as if it was a big favor.” He stands between their legs. “I do it because I love you and you deserve it. So now we’re going to celebrate you and little by little we can try and help you feel better.”

“It won’t be fast nor easy, Eds.”

“That’s okay. You and I are forever so we can take as long as you need.”

#eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie my beloved #eddie munson x you #eddie munson angst #eddie munson x gn!reader #eddie munson hurt/comfort #eddie stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson fan fiction

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sacrificialsam · 4 months

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the constant "sam was butchered by the writers" sentiment is so insane to me because all of dean's later seasons plots were just worse copies of earlier sam plots? and they aren't good or entertaining by themselves (imo) but they are espeicially bad when compared to the og storylines (especially comparing micheal!dean to Lucifer!sam. the peaky blinders cosplay takes me out everytime)

meanwhile some of the sam eps in the later seasons are some of my favourites overall!!! just my imagination! sacrifice! out of the darkness, into the fire! the devil in the details! american nightmare!!! beat the devil! exodus!

idk maybe its just cuz i personally prefer dean when he is comic relief, my favourite dean eps are funny ones like monster movie or the one with the slasher movies so it might just be me but i don't think he can carry a season long dramatic plot

yeah the fact that it's always brought up as an isolated criticism too, like just sam's writing sucks? what about everything else? why is everyone in agreement when you say you dislike sam specifically because he's badly written, but it's such a great insult to say dean sucks because his storylines are bad? and i want to say i'm not disagreeing that the writing quality declines in later seasons, some authors like robbie thompson pretty obviously don't care to write for sam and take him out of half the episode like in 11x04, but like you said there are very humanizing moments and stories that sam has in later episodes. if liking a character were all about relatability and writing quality he'd at least get some support for those, but it feels like the whole argument is just an excuse to dislike sam and call him a terrible person and character tbh. in regards to dean, i personally don't care that much for him being comic relief, i actually really like when he gets to be emotional and doesn't have to be a self-centered jokester, but again it's a personal opinion. i just think that emotion and stories centering dean were better in the early seasons, because it wasn't just him being constantly angry and not in such stark contrast to the worse stuff sam was silently dealing with. but i agree that dean being at the heart of season long plots doesn't really work for me, i've seen a lot of people call him the point of view character, and while i agree with that assessment i think it consequently means he has to focus on somebody else's story to perceive it. when everything is just about him and his actions and his emotions it's bland, and sam getting pushed to the side robs dean of his most interesting dynamic and lessens emotional impact when he's just doing stuff for himself by himself. later seasons tried to be more dean focused and it made his character less sympathetic to me.

#ask #anon

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olliecoded · 1 year

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okay last thing i will say on the subject for tonight (maybe) but i think what most viewers -- and most readers, in all honesty -- fail to understand is that it 1986 is abnormal. it is a weird book. it is not a traditional horror novel with a traditional horror setup and, while of course it IS horrifying in every way a book can be horrifying, that is not its main focus. it 1986 was never meant to revolve around gore or blood or death. it was meant to revolve around the losers club. the protagonists of the novel are what made it so impactful when it was initially published and they are what continue to make it so impactful today. pennywise, as a villain, is only important as it relates to the losers club (and btw it will be referred to here on out as pennywise, despite that not being its actual name, for clarity). because the actual book cannot survive without those central characters, it just can't. it 1986 is about seven people who are extraordinarily, supernaturally, surreally deranged about each other and in love with each other who have their lives irrevocably altered by a trauma they faced together, although separately. but does it really matter, because aren't the characters themselves both one person and not??

to understand king's original intention with the novel is to understand the losers and it 2017 massively, undeniably fails to do so. in an effort to create relatability, and to scare larger audiences, it 2017 (which for this post's purposes encompasses the entire remake franchise) totally disregards the bond and dynamic between the losers club. really, it disregards any element of magic at all. richie and bill get into a physical altercation in which punches are pulled, bill has to force the losers to hunt pennywise with him, mike drugs bill, mike lies to the losers, etc. the list goes on and on. it 2017 wants desperately to be a drama, and therefore its protagonists must face internal conflict. but none of this could EVER have been present in king's novel. the magical ties and promises that bind the losers are such that they not only care about each other but ARE each other at times. they can read each other's minds, bev thinks at one point. they -- and i know this is a sensitive subject for many but it's worth mentioning -- quite literally have a platonic orgy to solidify their bonds with one another. they are strange. the relationship between these characters depends entirely on forces outside of their own control. to suggest that they could fight like schoolchildren, per it 2017, goes against the very fabric of it 1986. these characters cannot fight like kids. they are, of course, barely even kids (and still completely kids). it's confusing. that's the point.

fine, then. we aren't allowed a weird dynamic with the remakes. where does that leave us with each individual protagonist, then? well, quite frankly, nowhere. the losers are completely intertwined, and erasing their relationship does absolutely nothing beneficial to the characters' personalities. the decision to loosen the bond between the characters -- to make them seem more like casual friends than soulmates -- comes at a detriment to every single character. and i mean every single one (yes, also bev). this goes back to what i was saying earlier about how, oftentimes, the losers seem to be one functioning body. what is bill if not the leader of this group? where is richie if not fitted into the overall group ecosystem? nothing and nowhere, apparently. the losers become childish mockeries of who they were meant to be. for example: stan's entire personality in the remakes is "jewish." that is quite literally his entire thing. so now we have a movie with shitty characters based off a book that is ostensibly known for its characters. already, we are off to a terrible start.

but it doesn't stop there! see, the problem is, pennywise depends on the characters just as the characters depend on their relationship just as their relationship depends on its magic (see the pickle we've gotten into?). the bone-chilling, spine-tingling terror of book pennywise is that it's always one step ahead. it knows your fears, sure, but it also knows what you love. it knows your hopes and dreams. it knows what you do in your free time and it knows how you interact with your friends and it knows all your inside jokes. and sometimes it shows up just to play! sometimes it's barely even menacing. sometimes it is just there because it can be, because each loser's relationship with pennywise is its own kind of individual horror, and pennywise wants them to know that. here is where the fear originates: you cannot run from it because it knows you and sometimes maybe it is you. you cannot escape something that has lived inside of you all along. and that sounds cliche, and quite possibly one of THE simplest horror metaphors to nail, but here is where it 2017 truly screws the pooch. without fleshed-out characters, it is impossible to do pennywise any of the justice it deserves. suddenly, it has no point of access to the losers, because they have no personalities to target. pennywise loses everything that made it terrifying in the first place, because it cannot exist without the losers. instead it relies on a mouthful of sharp teeth and a silly dance that will hopefully scare the audience. pennywise, after some slightly personalized meddling (and i mean SLIGHTLY. a painting?) to freak the kids out, attacks every loser in almost exactly the same way. that defeats the point of the story.

the audience does not leave a screening of it 2017 with any lingering feelings of dread or despair or i-should-leave-the-lights-on-tonight. the audience leaves with a classic slasher satisfaction and the knowledge that pennywise is really good at Eating You, if it so chooses. but there's none of the personal panic that there should be upon consumption of any version of stephen king's it -- there's no vague, half-formed thought that maybe it is waiting for YOU. not just anyone, but YOU. pennywise has been entirely impersonal and random for the entire movie. why should you be afraid?? it doesn't know YOU. it can't. and so the remakes fail. of course they do! they were fucked from the moment the losers' slates were wiped almost entirely clean.

but hey, i'm sure they tried their best?

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lepurcinus · 1 month

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What do you think of the three watership down adaptations?

This is probably very unpopular or strange. But here I go (W VEEERY long text/rant)

The 78 movie: Ehmmmmmm how to say it, I like it but not that much????

The animation style and this one itself I love, very beautiful captures the natural environment very well and the designs of the rabbits are impeccable even though they can be somewhat similar at times. I even appreciate that each warren follows its own details and even each rabbit has a unique part.

On the other hand in terms of story...it is the most faithful adaptation and follows everything almost to the letter, failing due to lack of time and thus having to cut things out. And it shows. I don't feel any kind of depth or charisma for the characters like their written version, they are just there existing (Except Bigwig and maybe Fiver) and the important scenes that should identify them are no longer the same (Ahem Dandelion saying he will tell the story of his journey to the youngsters when we never see him narrate a single story). Also new characters that only exist to die and also don't give me any kind of impact and even ruin the other characters in passing (Violet/Blackavar). And yes I definitely hated with all my being the focus on scary, violent and so on. Look, the book also has its moments and the presence of death is constant, but here I just see rabbits bleeding gallons of blood and dying at every corner and bad rabbits just because, Watership Down isn't about that. The scenes concentrate on horror and not terror as it should be (they are different things). Although read I will give points on the setting for the scenes of Fiver and the black rabbit. Actually that more ethereal part was very good, the way the visions of him in the art were presented was amazing too, very intriguing.

I'm still reeling from the pain of having the lettuce story scene removed.

The 99 series: Passable, a middle ground.

Some additions are a bit weird but it follows the line well, changes like Blackberry's gender don't bother me and I'd say it's even exaggerated the hate they gave it at the time (Because surprise it's not violent like the woooh movie).

In other terms, let's say that certain things didn't fit me. The personalities of the characters while I appreciate that they aren't talking rocks like the movie it bothers me a bit that they feel so generic/stereotypical/one trick. More than anything I have this problem with Bigwig, I don't know if it's my problem but seriously his version here I don't like him I feel very annoying and bloody to an unbearable level. He's naggy but not in a fun and understandable way like in the book. Something like that happens to me with the others.

New characters like Hannah and Kehaar's treatment eh, I don't hate every minute of his presence but yeah, they are not my favorite. The idea of having Kehaar abandon his people in favor of the rabbits is kind of missing the point of his character? Then they kind of backtrack and decide to give him a mate to leave and then replace him with a baby voiced hawk.

Although I found characters like the Yona's, the mole or Bark to be likable and cute.

The third season is a hit or miss. The change of style is not too bad although some designs look ugly (On the other hand Woundwort and Campion look very badass like that). The implementation of magic as something straightforward and affecting the world it seemed ridiculous and unnecessary. They detract from the fact that the Watership Down rabbits won by their cunning and teamwork and that Woundwort fell by his own stubbornness. Here they brought out a mouse with powers taken from a wizard turtle to summon fucking death itself to take everyone down???? Seems like inle needs to be summoned to do his job lol. (And yeah, I didn't like his characterization here, especially that edgy voice with filters ugh).

Other more additions like the new warrens and the El-ahrairah stories I love them but i wish they would have delved into them more. I really wanted that chapter on Inle's story had been done. The concept of Darkhaven and its rabbits, although it seems to be taken from a Fanfic with ocs the truth I found it interesting and I liked several characters a lot (I love you Granite). Also this version includes my favorite characterization of Woundwort and Vervain (and Campion I understand why many like this version) they are not 100% villains and they have their background and seeing their rise and fall is worth it. Although I feel that outside of them and characters like Moss Efrafa contributed almost nothing, there were not all those characters that helped us to understand how life was there and there were only brute and aggressive rabbits without more, it all felt very wasted. And again Blackavar is used as a rag because apart from being half secondary then completely forget about him. Wanting to take advantage of a person

Wanting to take advantage of characters like Silverweed was good, the truth I liked him outside of his oc superpowers.

The overall art style is not bad but looking at the concept art I would have wished it would have stayed that way. I can't help but see them as colorful Wallabies instead of rabbits and other animals that don't even look like the species they are.

I could add more but these are the most important thing to say.

Netflix miniseries: Well, here we go. I'm sure some will already want to flame and crucify me for this, but fearlessly I'm going to say it's my favorite adaptation of the three.

And look I FULLY UNDERSTAND your annoyances (Except for the stupidity of complaining because it's less violent than the movie). I agree that the animation leaves a lot to be desired and that the bunny models could have been better (besides the pawpads and constant digitigrade posing). And yes, I can see why several changes in moments and characters don't generate the same impact as in the novel. I read the thousand and one reviews everywhere that talk about that and I've noticed it myself.

However, even with all that I dare to say that it is my favorite and I'll tell you why.

I really like to enjoy it as a different version of the story, it's a different vision and unlike their other adaptations here I can't force myself to understand it as a super watered down and flat version of the novel nor as an episodic series with new additions. It's a new form of Watership Down. Get my point?

Here I really see characters changing and with personality. While it's true that some are still driven by being somewhat repetitive like Hawkbit and Dandelion, but here I didn't feel them overly heavy-handed like in the TV series. They are fun to watch, they are charismatic.

I've seen several complaints about how Bigwig here is too aggressive and pedantic but personally I didn't feel him in that way?? I mean yes, he definitely lacks that softer, more sympathetic side but I think his character comes across well. And yes, I can see why one would be upset with him being treated more like a stupid strongman here instead of the strong but knowledgeable and analytical bunny.

Other characters. I see the annoyance with the more insecure Hazel and a bit Simp, on the other hand I like that he has a couple of flaws that evolve as he progresses. I certainly don't think it was done in the best way and I feel him still very emotional and driven to danger by his own lack of judgement, however the fact that Fiver is the one who complements him with being the one who backs him up and makes him understand is something I appreciate.

Fiver is actually my favorite characterization and I don't know if I would say the boldness of it made me love him much more here than even his literary version. He's neither a hypernervous anorexic bunny driven by trauma nor a calm possessed child. He is a balance, he is sympathetic, level-headed, intelligent, though he can be intimidated he is also not afraid to speak his mind and is true to his ideals and takes his views seriously but at the same time fearful because of how unfamiliar and perplexing they are, sometimes even leading to blame himself for not wanting to understand them if it allows him to help others. To me that's a good way to look at Fiver.

Added as doe Strawberry and Clover, let's see. Again the gender change I could care less about, Strawberry active cheerful and helpful I thought was great, she is very cute and cuddly. And her complement with Bigwig doesn't seem bad to me (some say it didn't make sense because they didn't interact but actually they did, she even defended him when they were arguing and come on even in the book the rabbits who are a couple at least even spoke to each other??).

Clover on the other hand, again the idea of her being a more active character I thought was great. Although the fact that they try to focus on her being a caged rabbit and her unfamiliarity with the wild is handled, I see the flaws in this as well. She gets used relatively quickly and even though it was precisely because of her naivety that she got into trouble it doesn't feel as much. About his romance with Hazel, look, I see it cute but I understand why some things get messed up. The fact that it has to be her instead of Fiver who ventures out to find Hazel after being hurt, because true love, was definitely an egregious change. They could have had Fiver go and Clover impatiently try to follow him only to get lost on the way and get captured instead.

Kehaar though definitely very grumpy and rude compared to his version who though defiant and brave is also helpful was a bit ehh. I still find him charismatic in his own way and his "rivalry" relationship with Bigwig I feel worked well considering.

What their personalities are like here.

Efrafa and does. Uffff how to say it, the change from being a super populated den due to its oppressive environment as a derivative of the desire to hide it as much as possible from man is lost. Here it is an oppressive and evil place because yes, Woundwort has his background but he is entirely corrupted and what he does he does out of sheer power and desire. It's not such a bad take but it still loses its depth, I would have liked to see that concept where Woundwort's brother was still alive and together they created it while he looks with sorrow at his brother's corruption, it would have been great.

Looking at it this way then, well it definitely captures that terrifying and oppressive aura very well, these rabbits do look powerful, terrifying and dominating. Vervain and especially Orchis looked great to me, most of all the latter. I have a thing for these charismatic and intelligent villains who know how to use words well instead of force to get what they want. Sainfoin and Campion were also good, in a way that they tried to go with a similar path to the TV series with the latter I saw it great, more in this context. Also we see something more about Efrafa's life and although the idea of Bigwig being presented as a narrator instead of a member of Owsla was somewhat rare, the more I appreciated his interactions with the other characters watching him with intrigue, training him and interacting with him as comrades in storytelling.

About Hyzen and the does. Again in this context they work. They are in a really horrible place with thousands of horrible eyes on them. Even with that Hyzen and the others are still girls trying to overcome whatever happens to them, she still wants the best for her teammates even if it leads her to be much more distrustful and bring her to the brink of breakdown. I wish her ability to be like Fiver had also been added but I still like her.

Also I appreciate finally having Thethuthinnang and Nettle's involvement as a Nelthilta equivalent, maybe I would have wanted Vilthuril to also be part of the group to equally give her a role and then her bonding with Fiver. How Thet wants to be that force of encouragement for everyone with his songs is a beautiful thing to me. And Nettle's betrayal as an attempt to want to do his best without knowing the damage it meant was very painful.

And yes, Holly's involvement and her relationship with Hyzen seemed appropriate to me. Despite this Holly lacking a lot of the veteran side and knew his original counterpart, I saw him as nice collaborative and challenging and how in a way his mistake in not listening to Fiver made him pay and reflect on being better to then tell Campion great!!!. Others say it's kind of weird but consider that all along Hyzen and Holly interacted and knew each other in Efrafa as well as being a link for her to trust Bigwig. Although their interaction was little it's actually a possible scenario to see. Then he sacrifices himself and mourns his death, gosh, I prefer that over Blackavar's unnecessary and weightless death in the movie. This one at least does have weight and reason.

Plus they finally make Blackavar justified, I love him so much here as a wise old veteran but hurting, capable of being tough. He really participates in the story! And I loved his role along with his line "your plan doesn't make sense but if you pull it off and we remember it I want to be able to say I was part of it" (It wasn't like that as is but you know what it is.).

And lastly, I really missed the lack of stories. Despite being told secondarily, I would have liked to hear this version of Inle's story. And speaking of which, love this version of her, so serene, good and kind but at the same time mysterious and creepy. My favorite without a doubt.

Anyway, here's all my chatter, there would be more but I've already overdone it. Answer me what you want about this and argue, even if there are new points that I'm happy to hear my general opinion will remain the same :P

#i wait my entire life only for this ask lol #ask #lepur says

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teniente-lesaro · 2 years

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I'm kinda upset rn

Pixar needs to contact me because i think i just dreamed a blockbuster his movie

I just had a dream about a movie about cavemen/aliens/dinosaurs (possibly a combination of all three who knows, i don't, and it was my dream)

The main focus was this family, (mom, dad, preteen girl, small child boy) and this new commer (preteen boy)

It took place on this strange floating desert island that was largely dangerous because it had many deadly creatures and the terrain did strange things that couldn't (any never would) be explained.

It seemed like there were lots of remains of a technologically advanced species before them

Character descriptions are this

The dad is super silly and makes a lot of bad dad jokes, he loves his family so much and he acts a bit stupid even tho he isn't, he is however wildly and incredibly strong

The mom is very kind but mildly exasperated with everyone, tho the parents are a Team she seems to be the Leader of this group, she's the one that's most suspicious of this new boy. She is incredibly smart and resourceful

The preteen girl is wild and curious but she feels a little held back by her family, she wants to properly stretch her legs and she thinks she can do that better without them. She has a bag filled with things that's she's collected and she's desperately trying to figure out what happened to the world that made it this desert wasteland

The little kid is very sweet and innocent, he's just as curious as his sister but he obviously is much more clingy to his family (as small children are)

The new kid is both distant and clingy with the family, he has moments with each of them that really show how well he fits in them but there's something off about his behavior that is revealed at the climax of the movie

There are a couple other families that are met but not important to the plot at large, mostly there to show that there's other people and the protective nature of the mom

The lackey group of about five people two of which has zero lines but have a weirdly impactful Moment with either teen boy or teen girl, the Leader of the group ends up being the smallest guy who you don't realize is the leader until either teen girl or teen boy get captured. You find out then that these guys are just bounty hunters trying to do their job but maybe their job isn't worth doing if it means they have to kidnap kids. The last two are the comic relief of the movie that bicker a lot. The guy who is lanky and tries to lower the tension a lot by saying witty things like "oh we thought you two might come here for the romantic view" and the lady who is buff and seems like the primary brute force and also seems like she might be the group leader at first

Then theres the villain he has this whole thing with being "The Real Hero of The Story" and he's incredibly suave and smart and arrogant. But he's vindictive and cruel

From what I can remember the main plot was that the villain essentially caused a curse over the land by not fulfilling his side of the deal with the gods, a deal he made to win the war (like a hundred years ago and it's never said what the war was about)

The curse caused everything to be this desert wasteland but also curse him to this undead state of entropy and pain

He's the one that sent the bounty hunters after the teen boy

So this kids running away and stumbles upon the family they have these nice bonding moments and altho the mom is suspicious of him, she warms up to him just before the movie climax

A lot of the early part of the movie is him being really knowledgeable about the architecture, archeology, and ancient technologies while girl is really knowledgeable about survival, scavenging, and he deep fascination with knick knacks. All that while being subtly hunted by the lackeys

The tension starts the rise when the family finds out the lackeys are after the boy specifically and that they aren't going to stop until they've gotten him

The climax begins while mom and dad are arguing about whether or not boy can stay with them

Mad that mom and dad might make boy leave, girl starts ranting about how unfair it all is but boy argues that mom and dad are right to want him to leave, he is dangerous to have around

They get into a fight as well and her bag of knick knacks gets destroyed or lost down a ravine in the kerfuffle

She gets so incredibly mad and runs off (the audience should be mildly upset about the bag as well since it represented her hopes and dreams)

She gets grabbed by the lackeys and the lackeys confront the family with her

The mom who had been about to side with "We need to let this boy stay. He's just a child and he shouldn't be alone." Turns on the boy

Trying to explain his actions but giving up half way through the boy says something like "I'm sorry you got hurt, i was being selfish." Before trading himself with the girl.

They hand the boy over to the main villain and he does his villain monologue where he explains everything and how boy has the missing piece and knowledge to fix everything

How if boy stops being selfish the world could be a wonderful place again (with villain as it's protector and leader)

Cut to the lackeys at a bar or watering hoke or something and theyre talking about how the boy is probably going to get killed and how it's fucked up that this is their job and how many families did they destroy doing this guys bidding and is the money really worth it

And family over hears this and mom goes full Mom™ and is like YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW!

And the lackeys explain that villain could fix the world but if he did that he wouldn't get unlimited power and how once the archeologist/research scientists realized this many of them tried to hide how to fix the Thing™ and villain killed them for it

And how Boys mother was one of those people and they didn't know that her kid was watching when she died but villain figured out that boy stole a piece

And now that's the only piece needed to finish the Thing™

Cut to boy puting the Thing™ together and suddenly getting visions of the Gods that did this all, he can't see their faces but theirs voices come through, they ask what he desires

At the last moment one Goddess calls him a brave boy and he says he's just selfish

And she says perhaps and kisses his forehead and for a moment he has his mom back and she's there and alive and she's wonderful and it's all he's ever wanted and maybe they aren't survivalists like the Family™ but he could take her to them and

And then he thinks about how the family struggles so much just to have food and water and how the world could be plush with greens and Life and he could ask for that but

But he wouldn't get his mom back

And he starts crying and apologizing and his mom kisses his forehead and says that's it's okay and he'll be okay and she sings a lullaby that he was humming early in the movie and they hugs so tightly and desperately

Then cut to the family and the lackeys doing a cook but of breaking in to the villains lair and kicking butt and and they find the boy

But he's holding the Thing™ and his eyes are glowing and the villain says it's too late that once the life is sucked out of the boy he'll finally get his power and that he'll be a benevolent king

And you see the power of the gods start to fill the villain and

Cut to the boy and it's just him and the goddess asks him again, this time with a voice quite like his mother's, "What do you desire?"

Tears drip down his face and he mumbles out a small sorry

Cut too light filling the room from the tech but it's way too much

And lanky lackey says "it's gonna blow!"

And villain realizes he's being destroyed not made anew

And mom grabs the boy and they run

It explodes!

Then darkness and voices, his mom's voice!

He sits up quickly but!

It's not his mom, his mom is dead

But the world, the world isn't dead anymore and that's enough

As the movie winds down and you find out that lanky lackeys repeated comments about girl and boy being romantic were just him projecting because he wants to be romantic with buff lady lackey

The family are having a sweet moment about seeing their differences and loving each other and mom looks over and sees boy, sitting alone, looking at the Thing™ in his hands

Dad speaks up and says hey kiddo, we've got room for more over here

And boy runs over and hugs them

And it's not his mom, so it'll never be perfect

But it's enough, and he thinks she'd be happy to know that

Then cut to like five years later, boy and girl are still Just Friends (i cannot stress this enough) but they're older and wiser and even more of a handful for mom and dad

Buff lackey has like a mentor thing going on with the small kid and lanky looks dreamily on at his wife with a child

And the world is beautiful, and their home is plentiful and filled with laughter, and their community is happy and healthy

And many things were lost, and it isn't perfect, but it's enough

And that was the low down of my movie dream

Pixar hit me up

#my dreams #movie idea

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getmemymicroscope · 2 months

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The real question at the end of this movie, of course, is whether Kriti's character here is the same one as the one that showed up in that song in Stree. (Probably not, of course - hairstyle differences, plus location differences - but, still. Never know...)

Okay, but seriously, this was pretty fun. Bollywood still struggles with sci-fi and doesn't delve much into this type of 'fantasy' very frequently - I mean, we've had "turns into an animal" horror movies, but most of them aren't all that great and were back when the visuals were nowhere as great as they are now. But this one really clicks on all fronts. The songs - I mean, Apna Bana Le is a peaceful/melodious gem, and I'm not yet sick of Thumkeshwari.

What I really enjoyed, though, was the subtle (not so subtle?) focus on the environment and nature. Deaf ears, of course, but still - it's valid. And well done. The ideas of naturing protecting itself from the 'infestation' that is humans; the repeated themes of virus and humans as viruses; the 'insider'/'outsider' debate, as it refers to the jungle versus the outside world; the sort of peaceful isolation of the folks from that chaotic, selfish, heartless outside world - there's a lot to think about here, once you look past the initial "man turns into werewolf" thing. It's maybe not so much horror, but if you start thinking about what it is saying about humanity's impact on nature, it may sort of become a different type of horror altogether.

Even more than that, the scene after that night in the warehouse, where Jomin has had enough and is ready to abandon ship - that monologue is fucking brilliant and on-point. And he absolutely nails the delivery. The world - hell, forget the world, even just if we remain within Bollywood - loves to make those types of jokes about anyone different and play it off for laughs. Over and over again. And while this type of thing eventually generally leads to the character fighting back (I think this exact same thing happened with Vir Das and Meiyang Chang in Badmaash Company), many other similar types of 'pick on people' jokes are just repeated over and over again. But all his emotion there, and everything he says - it's brilliant.

Speaking of which, both Abhishek Banerjee and Paalin Kabak are absolutely awesome and scene stealers here, essentially from the minute they show up. Plus Deepak Dobriyal as Mr. Panda. The side cast here is absolutely brilliant (much like Banerjee himself and Aparshakti Khurana were in Stree), and they're a hoot to watch every time they show up. Varun Dhawan also does his part well, and Kriti Sanon too, in a smaller role.

I don't know how w werewolf would play into the dynamics of everything that happened in Stree, but I would love to see a return in Stree 2.

#GMMM does movies #GMMM does Bollywood #movies #movieblr

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izmooi · 2 months

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🎥 izi's Random Movie Reviews 🎞

Aachi and Ssipak 👤 dir. Jo Beom-jin

This post contains spoilers.

"This movie, with a forwardly crass concept, is an action-packed, strange, but, surprisingly cohesive film."

I'm unsure what draws me to this genre of animated movies, but I'm surprisingly interested each time. This is one of those movies maturely themed through ridiculous comedic, beyond-belief sexual fantasies shrowded in its entirety with violence. Characters are harshly drawn and aren't always easy on the eyes. It's filtered with crazy violence and action beyond any expectation of what's to happen and without regard to why it's happening. This movie, with a forwardly crass concept, is an action-packed, strange, but, surprisingly cohesive film. The characters are likable in their rude banter to each other. It was interesting following Aachi and Ssipak through their selfless journey in helping Beautiful but seeing that they were never the center of any of the action. They always happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time (or maybe conveniently right spot at the right time?). While they did express wanting a gain out of their efforts, most of the time it seemed like they didn't have anything better to do than follow along to try and save their new colleague. The world they live in, with its long battle between mutants and humans in the quest for retrieving popsicles, that are rewarded for defecation, desired as a resource, is wild all the way through.

My low rating is for the super weird plot that kept losing me. This is a movie where, in the middle of watching, I thought to myself, "Why did someone make this? For what purpose does this film serve?" Not every film has to necessarily serve a purpose, but I couldn't help but think of the experiences' impact on our main focus characters. The dub I found was also not the best. Arguably, it adds to the charm of it being so weirdly communicative. I never made a lasting impression or care for any of these characters due to their lack of motive and background. Beautiful was also a pretty cool character, but we didn't get much of her when she wasn't screaming, running, or trying to defend herself. Aachi and Ssipak seem to have known each other for a long time, and I would have liked to learn more about their dynamicity.

tldr: This is a wild movie for a night with the bros if you're looking for an un-serious and crazy film to watch.

4/10

#aachi and ssipak #izi's random movie reviews #izi thoughts #movie review #movies #movie #animated movie #korean animation

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wensvol · 2 years

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hi 🖤 wanted to send you this and this

I know depression is hard to deal with and sometimes we become hopeless because of it but that's a little parasyte in your brain and the things it tells you aren't true. "you're not strong enough" or "you'll never be happy again" ... all of those are lies. if you weren't strong you wouldn't have endured all of the years that have passed but you did every single day. if you think of life as a whole it's a pretty big deal and can become overwhelming but life doesn't have to be a blob. it can be a day. one at a time. we never truly know when the last day of our lives will be. not being here someday is granted. you don't want to not be here, you don't want to be in pain. but not being in pain isn't disappearing. there are still so many things you haven't lived that maybe will be the reasons that make you appreciate being alive again. there's so many people worth meeting and so many songs that you will have the chance of listening for the first time, or listen in repeat 15 times in a row, so many songs to dance to, so many books to cry to, so many movies to feel on the edge of your seat to, so many once in a lifetime happenings like every sunset and every sunrise because the colours will never be the same again, so many new foods to try or so many times where your favourite food will be the comfort your heart needs, so many ocean breezes and sweet scents to smell and so many cheek pains to feel from laughing so hard with people that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, so many good naps to take and so many moments of pride in yourself for finishing something you have been working hard on... I really could go on. and I know everything I say doesn't really matter because I too feel like sometimes these things are hard to believe but I hope you know how cherished you are and how happy you make us for being here. I am so happy and grateful that you are alive and I know from the bottom of my heart you have what it takes to kick depression in the ass. If things get a little too much, take a break and focus on yourself. If you need a routine try to do something small everyday like taking a shower or going for a walk. it doesn't need to be much but consistency is the key. if you have a specific problem or are having trouble doing something try to write it down and deconstruct it, turn it into little steps and do one at a time. reach out to people close to you. sometimes we feel like a nuisance but those who love us are more than happy to hear us and comfort us when we're not feeling our best, truly. if you feel stuck, always remember that some steps take longer than others and that's ok. it doesn't mean you're in the same place. nothing's permanent and everything (and I mean everything) is subject to change. and whatever troubles you will pass. you will change too. and yes there will be bad days, there will be terrible days but never once doubt that something better isn't waiting for you because it is. never once doubt the impact you have on other people and how much you are cared for. never doubt how important you are and your strength. I don't know if you are being followed by a therapist but please talk to a professional so they can help you find yourself again. please don't give up. i am sending you a virtual hot chocolate with marshmallows an extremely cute squishmallow and a really big hug right now. and if you ever need to vent we are here for you ♡ I'm sorry you have to go through this pain, please let me know if there's anything i can do to help. you aren't alone!

anon i don’t know if you know but this is the sweetest thing a stranger has ever done for me. thank you so so much for taking time out of your day to send me something this sweet and supportive. i’m doing a lot better now, it’s just that in my current situation i tend to lose track of why i should keep going really fast. so i’ll definitely reread this daily. thank you so much. <33

#anon.asks #i’m genuinely speechless #i love you anon

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notoriousjae · 2 years

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Are you ever going to finish 72 Rules of Cat Grant? Pretty pretty please?????

The answer is a firm absolutely probably. A 'someday'

Funnily enough, I'm horrible about checking my tumblr messages and I'm even more horrible about answering them in a timely manner, but I do get this question at least once a month. Which...let's be real, is absolutely humbling. I'm touched.

I'll be honest with you, because I think a lot of fic writers aren't honest when they get these questions: I love them. A lot. I still know the entire story and still know exactly the path I want them to take--I know exactly what was going to happen...and honestly, I hit a few hard-to-write roadblocks and it just stemmed me from continuing. I reached a few scenes that gutted me in writing and made it difficult for me to continue and instead of pressing on, I let it fall to the wayside. It haunts me. I took a writer's easy way out--instead of working through the emotions I knew I had charted ahead of myself, I stopped the story in a way I have so little capability to stop real life. I knew bad things were coming--that bad things were going to happen--and I had an agency with that story I so rarely have. I could stop myself from going through these feelings along with everyone else reading the story. I didn't want to keep writing the storyline I was, because the middle was hard to write, even if I felt like it was important.

Juvenile? Oh, yeah, definitely. I should have just written it--that story was so important to me. It's still important to me, especially knowing what was to come for them. But...I hesitated, and now time's passed. So know that each day I think about that story like an old lover, faded memories of should have beens in the background, and I feel so horrible for everyone who was reading it that just got dropped in the middle. Supercat is still very, very dear to my heart...

But I'll be honest: because of that I wanted them to stay happy, and the part where I left the fic seemed like the greatest moment to leave them, before life ultimately got in the way. I've wished I could do that for myself thousands of times in the smallest and biggest of ways and maybe it's still a mental roadblock for me, tackling that fic. Tackling that relationship. And, yes, tackling the very painful second half of the fic that was to come.

I've mentally moved on a bit. I'd love to say 'oh of course I'll finish it' and I do mean that it's every intention of mine to finish it, someday, but it's not likely going to happen very soon. My focus has shifted--my priorities have moved.

I can't tell you how humbled I am that it had such an impact on you that you're asking me about it, now. That so many people have asked about it, or thanked me for it. It's still surprising to me that anyone has ever read a single thing I've written, let alone it's affected them so deeply, so I'm genuinely sorry that I left such a loose end on the piece.

I'd like to finish it, someday, when I can push through the writer's block I caused for myself. Maybe if I keep writing obscure wlw for literally every television show, game, and movie I play/watch I'll push past it :)

Thank you again, anon, and I hope someday I'll be able to answer this question with 'Yes! It's finished!' but until then, I appreciate you.

#I appreciate you so much #sometimes it's difficult to tell the stories we want to tell #maybe sometime I'll find the courage to push through it anyways #altho ain't anyone gonna be happy with the next chapter if I do lmfao

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tepkunset · 7 years

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How tf is it white washing when the actors themselves aren't white nor white passing?? I understand that ethnic backgrounds are essential to these characters, but you're entire argument seems to focus on skin color and how the actors aren't dark enough. Like when it boils down to it..how does that in any way take away from the experience? You even said Rosario Dawson wouldn't have been perfect for one of the roles and it's like???? She's literally an afro-latina...

(In response to this post.)

I won’t argue that we could certainly use a better word for this, but fact of the matter is, there is some huge colourism at play, which is the backbone of whitewashing. I don’t want to use “race-bending” because I only ever see that used by white people raging over how dare an adaptation with an entirely white cast include one (1) nonwhite person to play a character who was white. So I’ll continue using whitewashing as an umbrella word until I know of a better one.

Ethinc backgrounds are important, and so are racial backgrounds. Like I said in the post, Bobby for example, will now require a different origin story. Him being a biraical man has had an impact on his life growing up. It’ll be interesting to see if this receives the same backlash as when Wolverine got a messed up origin story.

Skin colour is important when it’s such a huge determining factor in casting as it is in Hollywood. (When you have casting calls that ask for POC but specify “not too dark,” you’d think you’d get some self-awareness of this problem.) If we lived in a world where there was even close to equality in film representation, maybe things would be different. But there’s not.

They took Black Latinx characters and forgot the Black part. POC are not interchangeable. They took a dark skinned ndn character and forgot the dark part. If that existed all on it’s own I wouldn’t be as “hmph” about it, but when you also pair it with the other fuck ups, it speaks a lot of the casting director.

Like, Indigenous people have it really shitty in mainstream TV and film. If we’re “too dark,” the only roles we can play are the “noble savage” or “historical” (and lets use that word lightly) films. If we’re “too light,” we have far better luck getting work, but the only roles we can play are for all in tense and purposes white characters with no mention of race/ethnicity. When you look at Indigenous led films and shows, you see a HUGE difference. I’m just going to take Mohawk Girls as an example. This is the cast. Notice how all the four main characters look quite different? But the story has roles for them all, and acknowledges that they are Native characters. If we had more mainstream shows like Mohawk Girls, the whole damn context would start to shift.But that is not the case. And we still live in a world where the more “Native you look,” the narrower the films you can get. (Coupled with the fact that even still, Hollywood prefers hiring white actors and loads up the tanning gun.) And this movie just up and took what could have been a really break-out film for a darker skinned Native girl who’s only hope of a career is in independent films.And I hold no real anger towards Blu Hunt. I am disappointed in her, but I would not wish harm on her.

So, how does this all take away from the experience? It means that Black Latinx people miss out on getting to see some iconic Black Latinx characters on screen. It means that dark skinned Native people miss out on getting to see an iconic dark skinned Cheyenne character on screen. (One who’s superpower isn’t connected to nature, either… which is often The Requirement for Indigenous superheroes.) It means Vietnamese people and lesbians miss out on seeing a Vietnamese lesbian character on screen. Perhaps this is difficult for you to understand–And I say perhaps because I don’t want to presume your BG–that Hollywood is high on colourism. So yes. Skin tone matters when you rarely get to see yours, even in roles that were made for it.

Re: Rosario Dawson - The reason I said she wouldn’t be perfect (perfect as in perfection) is because Cecilia has a different hair texture(/style) than Rosario Dawson does, and one that we do not often get to see Black women have on screen. Even actors who have that type of hair often straighten it for roles… That being said, like I mentioned, she would have been much better than the person they got, no competition.

I hope that answers your question.

#new mutants #whitewashing #Anonymous #ask

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nikkifilm · 5 years

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Batch '81 (1982) & Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1980), dir. Mike de Leon

In just the first part of the film of Batch '81, it's no doubt that it is best categorized under the cheated expectation, but certainly not in a bad way. From the title itself, the scoring, down to its first sequence, it suggests to be more light and a bit dramatic, probably revolving around a story of a student who flunks in his class, thus being the black sheep, yet somehow makes a stand that school isn't about getting high grades in every class but learning outside the campus — that's how I thought it would go. Apparently, it turned out to be about joining a fraternity. Little did anyone, or at least I, know that the alternative title “AKO” didn't mean oneself, but rather an acronym for a fraternity called Alpha Kappa Omega. That's how all my expectations for this film drastically changed. Although the main character, Sid Lucero, had a very masculine build and a “bad boy” impression, it never occurred to me that he was going to join a fraternity. At first, I denied that it was going to be the main plot of the movie. I couldn't accept the fact that my expectations weren't met and that it was all heading towards a different direction, but as I kept watching, I forgot about everything I was trying to expect out of the plot and just continued watching. I happen to grow more genuinely hooked and intrigued of the movie by the conventions showed in it.

In Kakabakaba Ka Ba, it tackles more on the dark side of Japan (and China), how they use the Philippines to import and sell off drugs. It's something that is sensitive nowadays, but it discusses more of that in this film. The characters are normal people in the Philippines, typical of those group of friends that hang out and have fun in life, but little did they know, they got themselves involved into something big, which is about the cassette tape containing drugs. It's where the story pretty much start and begin to gradually unfold as they move.

In terms of technicality or the stylistic form of Batch '81, there's honestly not much to commend since cinema have improved and expanded now compared to the generation it's from, but objectively speaking, the way the entire film was shot and edited gives you that dark and hopeless feeling about it, especially since for the most part, especially during the initiation scenes, it really comes off as terrifying and at the same time, realistic. You'd feel as if you're part of the film, that you feel every situation the characters are in, and how the scenes that show violence really do seem realistic and somehow, you feel that too. Whenever a scene is painful, you have tendencies to flinch as well. That's how realistic it is. Narrative wise, Batch '81 definitely excels as the message behind the film really speaks to the people, and it sparks discussions about how other people interpret what the film wants to address. These small qualities and impact from the film says a lot about how it was narratively commendable.

As for Kakabakaba Ka Ba, it's more of a stylistic than narrative film as it had more effects and different color grading. Of all the classical films I have watched, this one is by far the most visually appealing film that is not only limited to editing, but also with their settings and props. It was such a creative and genuinely beautiful masterpiece and you've got to love the film for it. I really love the editing as well, especially on the part where they portrayed them being high on drugs. It was really surreal and dream-like, and I was pretty impressed by that and actually got me wondering how they were able to achieve that. The musical scenes are what gets me, it's my first time to be able to watch a musical-comedy, not to mention a local one, and I've got to admit that I had low expectations from it but this one really exceeded that much more. I was shocked but at the same time impressed and fascinated that they were able to achieve such a great performance. It was full-on, from the scoring, props, performance, and transitions. Everything was great and all so entertaining to watch. I genuinely liked it and would really watch it again. Narratively, it's great but more on cliche as it revolved around a chase type of story and it all clashes down in the end. It's quite common, which is why I find it a bit dull, but the thrill is still there and makes you root for what will happen next.

Considering the conventions showed in Batch '81, it really does make you feel something. There's that roller coaster ride of emotions that fluctuates throughout the entirety of the film which what at least I commend as yet another great film. It's hard to make people laugh when you're doing a comedy film, like how hard it is making people cry when doing a drama. But this film doesn't merely sticks to its genre or lets it determine how it should make you feel. It does not only achieve its goal by trying to evoke the wanted emotion from its audience but also exceeds it by making you feel all sorts of emotions — from horrified, disgusted, and angry, it just hits you a wave of sadness, despair, and even playful to some extent. Although these aren't as drastically changing emotions as they are mostly similar, they are different from each other that it varies from scene to scene. Usually, films that have students as main characters would focus more on the traditional way of showing a typical college student's life and all that. However, this film took a different turn by focusing on fraternities within universities. Although it does also tell that fraternities may have been popular during the 80's, it's still non-conventional in a way that they showed the reality behind the initiations held between fraternities. This came off as a message to the viewers, than just portraying what the general audience think of when we talk about fraternities. It makes you really feel for the characters in the film regardless if the viewer had actually experienced being initiated or part of a fraternity or if they just had a similar experience with abuse and humiliation. It gives the viewers a fresher perspective than what is always conceived traditionally. Typically, anyone who weren't able to relate to the characters or the film in general wouldn't spend time or even bother watching the whole film, but this was an exception to that barrier. It speaks to the audience, as humans, that it does affect us emotionally and mentally in a way that makes you think: it's possible that this might have or will have happened in real life. Which what always triggers that fear, intrigue, and contemplating among viewers.

For Kakabakaba Ka Ba, I didn't know what to expect as it seemed odd to me. How it's a comedy-musical film that has that title but having drugs as the main context of the film. It all doesn't add up to me at first that's why I didn't know what to expect. I was weirded out at first, but as I kept watching, it gradually faded away and became more hooked and pretty much had a good laugh and enjoyed the entire movie.

In the Auteur theory context, we see how both films had a certain impact to the viewers that would make us both feel for it in its respective genres. Like with Batch '81, you know how it's a violent and drama film, and yes it did feel that way. The violence seemed real and is affecting the viewers, same goes with the drama. When you see a person being hurt or tortured, you somewhat sympathize for that person and also feel for them. Same could be said of the other Mike de Leon film, Kakabakaba Ka Ba. You can see how it applies the same thing, how you are able to empathize with the characters and how it's as if you are part of the movie too. When the part where they're trying to hide from the Japanese and Chinese dealers makes you all thrilled and it's as if you're in it too. That's one common ground that both films have, and it goes to show how Mike de Leon wants to make his audience feel when they watch his films. It evokes the emotional aspect within people through his films to be able to spark that connection. I'd say it's pretty efficient as it does make you hooked and want to keep watching because you kind of root what happens next to the characters. For Batch '81, you root for their progress in the initiation like what will they do next, who gets eliminated, and what turn of events will happen in the end — if the main character get what he wants or if he had a change of heart. For Kakabakaba Ka Ba however, it makes you root for what mystery lies beneath this certain Japanese group of drug dealers and what's inside the cassette tape that they put in Johnny's coat that caused all that chaos. It's actually pretty comical if you come to think of it. It's something that you'd see in most animations too. It's a good way to have a story run along, it's pretty fun to watch, especially if you like watching for the purpose of having fun or just a good time. Perhaps that's what makes it a Mike de Leon film. It makes you think that maybe that is his goal, to make the audience not only watch a film, but also to be able to feel which is good. Because a good film not only relies on its technical or narrative surface, but also how emotionally attaching it is to the people and how it is relatable and understands. Some would probably say that it's shallow and doesn't really have a deeper meaning to it, but that's another thing that makes it a Mike de Leon film. You'd think that it has nothing to do with reality or anything that is happening in real life, but it does. It's not directly put, but it's there. It speaks about the recent social issues the country is facing that time, and what has been prominent back then in the early 80's was the Martial Law and Marcos. There are a few scenes that had portrayed it, how people were killed when they try to speak about Martial Law, and how people are put to jail without even further reasoning or explanation. It's all but subtle, but when you know it, it really makes you think and then it dwells on you. It's there until you finish the film. That's what makes yet another reason as to why it's a Mike de Leon film. It makes you feel and at the same time, think.

Two particular and prominent social issues that can be seen in Batch '81 is the violence and abuse surrounding fraternities and the concept of toxic masculinity. It's a norm within universities in this certain period of time to have fraternities. What made it become a social issue is the violence that's supposed to make you disciplined that turn into abuse and questioning of morality. Another is that the concept of joining one means to get social gain and "protection" yet didn't turn out to be exactly like it. To me, it seemed obscure and pretty much shallow, but I suppose it does speak about how it used to be back then. Today, fraternities have become something that is not morally accepted and the society have prioritized the well-being and rights of a human being which contradicts what is being shown on the film. Although despite the differences in morals from said generations, the portrayal of this social issue is relevant, especially on the part where one of the members die during a conflict within the different fraternity. It's something that speaks even to up to this current generation. With regards to the concept of toxic masculinity, it is seen through the character of Sid Lucero, who wants to be tough and all to join a fraternity. He wants this social gain, because it's how men are supposed to be. The way they also have to endure everything they go through during the initiation rights is also what builds that toxicity, because it's implied that when you can't take it, you're not brave enough to be part of the fraternity. The concept of this brotherhood is what in general makes it toxic. For Kakabakaba Ka Ba, it's more of the drugs and how our country had become the market of drugs especially from other countries like Japan and China. There's nothing much deeper to tell about this than that. It all pretty much revolved on that which alone is alarming.

What I like about Batch '81 is how the characters care for each other genuinely, but except for Sid. How they step forward whenever someone is getting hurt overboard or when they are being too abused. They still have that sense of humanity and genuine care for the fellow members. For some reason it just speaks to me personally, maybe because it's something that I was rooting for with all the violence and verbal abuse that have been happening within the film. It gives off that sense of comfort that makes you think that human nature is still seen in that context. It gave a different perspective of how the fraternity works, and you'd see here how even though it is merely an initiation and you'd expect them to be selfish or mind their own goals so long as they get through what is required, you still see that side of them, that they still care for each other even if it means being against their masters. What I didn't like is how the main character didn't have a character development. What he is in the beginning is just the same him in the end. The only difference is that yes, he got what he wanted and he eventually became a master. Which is fulfilling because that is what he wanted after all, but I didn't see any changes within his character as compared to the supporting characters in the film. If I'm being honest, I liked the other characters more than the main because they had much more development in them than the main character did. All in all, there's really not much to point out anymore, but that's only a few of what I have noticed or spoke to me in this film.

On the other hand, Kakabakaba Ka Ba was a great film, considering it being a comedy-musical that tackles about a serious issue. I loved the film in general, and there wasn't much as to what I disliked about it. Besides the comedy factor in this film which I also genuinely love, II especially liked the musical part of the film. It was nothing but an excellent performance and a masterpiece if I may say. I never thought I'd like it based on my initial expectations before, but it all jot down to me liking it and there's certainly no regret on that. I wish to be able to have more productions like this in the Philippine cinema.

There aren't much to me that I wished the director did, I understand how the films are dated around years ago and there have been changes that happened in the society since then. Especially since these films are a product of the repression back then, particularly about martial law. I just wished, however, that they had given a more solid or deeper plot for both films. For Batch '81, although it is more serious and sensitive as compared to Kakabakaba Ka Ba, it lacked the bigger picture. Comedies and musicals like Kakabakaba Ka Ba however, obviously have little to none storyline but I do see how it had a progress in contrast with Batch '81. Besides the plots, I wished the characters, particular the main characters have more development within them or actually have a significance throughout the film. Nothing really against the director, but most of the time, the only memorable characters in the films are mostly the ones who aren't the main character. You'd only recognize them from their faces or physical attributes, but nothing much about their character or personality. I hope that it would've had more of that, because it kind of puts the film off.

For Batch '81, I'd have to say that I was satisfied with the ending, although I wasn't really surprised. I hoped there have been more to it, because I knew there's really something more that can be put. It did have a great closure, yes. But it really felt lacking. Maybe because it was way too direct and way much more of a gratified ending, since Sid was able to be finally a member and eventually a master. Like I said, it didn't really have much of a solid plot to it. Despite the parts where it had made me feel terrified and disturbed, it subsided with the fulfilling ending which balances it and what makes me find it somewhat enjoyable to some extent. As for Kakabakaba Ka Ba, the ending was just as enjoyable as the first few scenes, and it's also quite fascinating how they broke the fourth wall. It's as if they really just want to have fun and it's effective. You wouldn't even feel like you're watching because you're just having fun. It's more on you're there with them than just watching them.

Overall, I'd say both Mike de Leon films have won the hearts of the viewers, particularly the Filipino. It's really commendable in a way that not only will you find yourself empathizing with the characters and be able to feel as if you're part of the film, you really genuinely enjoy it because you relate to it and understand it no matter what. You don't just relate to them literally, but more of you are able to see yourself or at least one particular moment of your life that had a similarity to what is shown in the film. You both get to enjoy and feel for it, and most importantly, it leaves you a food for thought that would make you realize things too.

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snowglobesask · 7 years

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My Eyes Aren't Mirrors

It's starting to feel like another day, another article or media piece to be frustrated with. Maybe this is a sign of my increasing awareness, and unwillingness to let things slide. Awhile back I read a piece in The New Yorker called Seeing The Spectrum: A New History of Autism by Steven Shapin. The art is the first thing I would like to comment upon. I interpreted the picture as a depiction of a whole community of adults in the process of constructing a child. It might be an artistic depiction of the concept that a whole community is required to raise a child. That's not the first thought that popped into my head. "Look at all these adults fixing this broken child," was my first (sarcastic) thought. Maybe that comes from a cynical place. The article starts out by pointing out how the world is an unpredictable place, and normal people just deal with it. Sure they do. Moving on, the author throws in an example of how someone might accidentally buy their boxers at J.C. Penney instead of Kmart. This is a clear reference to the film called Rain Man. He goes on to specifically reference this movie as a cultural tipping point in understanding autism. The movie is based on a real person who was named Kim Peek, who wasn't autistic, although inspiration was also taken from another man who was. The article goes on to say the world has always been this way; there have been people who deal with changes and those who impose order, but autism hasn't always existed. The author means that autism was only identified relatively recently. When a tree falls in the forest, and nobody's there to hear it, does it make a sound? If a doctor hasn't diagnosed you, does that make you less autistic? According to all the people who attack self-identified autistic people in online communities, I'm thinking they believe a person is only autistic if a doctor says they are. What a pile of crap. My cousin was diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and depression. This is despite ALL of her siblings being autistic. The doctor told her that she cared about other people and what they think of her, so she couldn't be autistic. This was in the last five years! If doctors are making diagnoses based on stereotypes, I'm more than willing to accept that a person might understand themselves better than the doctor. I'm not about to argue their assessment of themselves as autistic. The author warns against posthumously diagnosing famous people in history, and he has a point. I do it all the time, but it's speculation rather than fact. The part of this article that has many autistic people upset is as follows: For parents of autistic kids, awareness is desperately important. It's a searing experience to have a child who doesn't talk, who doesn't want to be touched, who self-harms, who demands a regularity and order that parents can't supply, whose eyes are not windows to their souls but black mirrors. Public recognition is vital, both for its own sake and as a means to mobilize resources for care, support, and a possible cure. My eyes are not mirrors. If they were, they'd reflect back the ableism of this statement. I don't lack a soul. Furthermore, I wouldn't choose to be cured if that was an option. In my opinion, the focus needs to be on finding ways to relieve aspects of autism that make living in the community difficult. Autism Speaks spends most of their money finding ways to test for autism in-vitro. If this is successful, it will lead to many fear-based abortions. They also spend a lot of money on curing autism, with the primary focus on wiping out the genome. OUR SOCIETY NEEDS AUTISTIC PEOPLE! I've said it many times, in many blog posts, and I'm not going to stop saying it. The author goes on to discuss brave parents who refused to institutionalize their children, and insisted on treatment options, changing the view of autism. It might be true, but it leaves out autistic people. He discusses Applied Behavior Analysis as if it's a thing of the past. I wish it were. I understand the approach doesn't use cattle prods anymore, so I feel like I need to explain my reluctance to embrace it. This is especially true since Mr. Shapin said that high-functional autistic people like myself are picking on the parents of severely autistic children by saying that we shouldn't try to treat autism. (italics are his words, because I HATE functional labeling) I've never said anything like this. I want people to have relief from symptoms that impact their daily living, without destroying autism. I watch a show on CBS called Scorpion. To my dismay, I've watched it become increasingly ableist. I wince whenever Paige delivers lines to Walter like, "You're becoming more human." She's saying he was less than human before that point, and she the one who gets to judge his humanity. This is what autistic people face all the time with behavioral modification approaches. In one episode of Scorpion, Walter acts out a piece of Romeo and Juliet. Paige asks him why he doesn't act all the time. What she means is she can't understand why he doesn't put on this show every time he has to deal with people. It's exhausting and shouldn't be necessary. Why should autistic people expend so much energy trying to accomplish trivial things? Why can't neurotypical people just accept our stimming, if it isn't causing us harm? Steven Shapin took the time to explain how great neurotypical people are at adapting. Put those skills to to work by adapting to the idea that we aren't the same as you and we aren't going to pretend to be, just to make you more comfortable.

#autism #autism in literature

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